Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 316 I want to be a capable and powerful ruler!

"boom!"

Fireworks bloomed in the air, releasing brilliant light.

The blazing flames illuminated the night sky at that moment.

The girl's body slowly softened under Zhu Yunhuan's constant attack.

In his previous life, Zhu Yunhuan was still a child until he traveled through time.

Although I have watched countless Japanese love action movies and have a wealth of theoretical knowledge, I have zero hands-on experience.

In this life, in order to prevent himself from being obsessed with beauty, he specially summoned beautiful palace maids to sleep with him before going to bed, also to demystify himself psychologically.

This is also one of his theoretical knowledge.

Only by having more experience in battle can a man suppress his instinctive desires from the bottom of his heart and not let his little head control his big head.

Otherwise, it is easy to be driven by instinct and unknowingly fall at the feet of the opposite sex and become a bootlicker without realizing it.

He is king.

Although he also longed for love, he would never allow any woman to conquer him.

Only he can conquer others, but he cannot let others conquer him.

For example, now.

Zhu Yunhuan picked up Gu Panjun, walked quickly forward, and soon walked into the room next to the city wall.

Outside, the fireworks continued to go off, painting a beautiful picture in the sky.

The roar of artillery fire continued.

Fight all night.

When Zhu Yunhuan woke up, the sun was shining brightly outside.

"Your Majesty is awake!"

Gu Panjun also opened his eyes and struggled to get up, but he couldn't help but frown slightly as he felt waves of pain from below.

Last night, Zhu Yunhuan was too crazy.

You must know that he had his first taste of a man some time ago.

It's time to get to know the taste of the food.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang's death forced him to stop in order to observe mourning.

After enduring for so long, the desire can no longer be suppressed.

Last night I finally had the chance to release it.

What’s more, she is such a beauty like Gu Panjun.

"Queen!"

But it was Xiaowen who came over and helped Gu Panjun get up.

Soon, another palace maid came and helped the two of them wash.

"Your Majesty, Lord Yang came early this morning. When he saw Your Majesty and the Queen resting in the room on the tower, he severely scolded the servants and guards."

"Your Majesty and the Queen are both worth millions of dollars, so you can't live so casually."

"After all, night is different from day. If something unexpected happens, we servants will not be able to atone for our sins even if we die a thousand times."

Zhu Yunhuan was stunned.

When he was in the Eastern Palace before, he killed the old eunuchs and the chief guards who were watching, and also ordered Yang Rong to temporarily take charge of the Eastern Palace guards.

After Zhu Yuanzhang passed away, the people from the Eastern Palace also moved to the Imperial Palace.

Yang Rong was still responsible for managing the guards of the imperial palace to protect Zhu Yunhuan's personal safety.

This is a stopgap measure.

After all, at that moment, Zhu Yunhuan could not find a eunuch leader who was capable of shouldering such a heavy responsibility and whom he could trust.

It was not uncommon to let outsiders temporarily lead the palace guards.

By the Qing Dynasty, it had even become a system.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be the official position of "Minister of the Imperial Guard".

At least, for now, Yang Rong is completely dependent on him, so he doesn't have to worry about him betraying him.

In this era, "accidents" can easily happen at night due to limited lighting conditions.

Once someone deliberately does something bad, it is easy for a large area to fall into chaos in the dark.

Therefore, the palace gates were locked at night and no one was allowed to pass through. Even the emperor's sleeping place gradually became a secret.

By the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Jiajing, who was always worried about being assassinated, even arranged twenty-seven beds for himself to sleep on.

In this way, no one would know which bed he slept in, and it would be difficult to assassinate him.

However, Zhu Yunhuan didn't want this to happen.

He thought that instead of hiding away and sleeping like a nervous person, it would be better to arrange a few more palace maids to serve him.

Eunuchs and guards were sent outside to guard the place.

This way, you don't have to worry about anyone with malicious intentions trying to assassinate you.

After all, with so many people watching, there was no chance to take action.

Far safer than hiding.

There is no shortage of people in the palace.

For example, one hundred palace maids, one hundred eunuchs, and five hundred guards were divided into five shifts to take turns on duty.

Even when she was sleeping, there were twenty palace maids guarding her, twenty eunuchs outside ready to take orders at any time, and one hundred guards outside that.

With so many people guarding you, you will be safe no matter how you sleep.

On the contrary, if you hide and sleep, there will be no one around you. If someone with ulterior motives sneaks in, you will be really helpless.

As for the conspiracy among all the palace maids, eunuchs and guards to kill together.

If it really comes to that, there's probably no need to be on guard.

After all, if everyone around him wanted to kill him, they would be able to do so no matter what.

As an emperor, it is impossible for him to get to that point.

However, Yang Rong's concerns were not wrong.

The city tower was not originally a place for the emperor and empress to rest.

Especially at night.

Despite the layers of guards, there are still some risks, and it is far less safe than the Queen's Kunning Palace.

Yang Rong's worries are not without reason.

"understood."

Zhu Yunhuan responded.

"It's my fault." Gu Panjun said hurriedly, "As the queen, I failed to properly advise Your Majesty and instead let Your Majesty rest in the tower. It's my fault."

"I will definitely reflect on this in the future."

Zhu Yunhuan laughed and said, "You are quite good at taking responsibility for yourself."

"These are all my duties." Gu Panjun stretched out her hand and personally helped Zhu Yunhuan to tidy up his appearance again. She waved her hand again, signaling the palace maids to retreat, and then said:

"Your Majesty, when I went to your bedroom to look for you last night, I saw a picture of the Daming Palace on your desk. Is your Majesty planning to expand the palace?"

Zhu Yunxi nodded.

There is nothing to hide about this.

The expansion of the palace will have to be announced to the ministers sooner or later.

Gu Panjun smiled and said, "The original harem is sealed, and there is not much space left. It is indeed necessary to expand it."

"However, Your Majesty is a man who wants to be a famous ruler throughout history. You should be frugal and not waste the people's and the country's strength at will."

Zhu Yunhuan couldn't help but frown slightly, and he was extremely unhappy in his heart.

He came to the Ming Dynasty to be the emperor, not to be a slave.

If one has to live a hard life in order to become a famous emperor, and becomes an emperor but cannot even build a few houses to reward himself, then he might as well be a tyrant.

Singing and drinking every night, having three thousand beauties in the harem, and being a bridegroom every day, isn’t that great?

What is the posthumous reputation?

Went to his!
To be more serious, he has to govern the country.

He must have the enjoyment of an emperor.

Only children make choices, of course adults want them all!

Even more, he didn't want to have a queen who would nag him every day, advising him not to build palaces, not to indulge in pleasure, not to love women, and to devote all his energy to governing the country, etc.

Unexpectedly, before Zhu Yunhuan could get angry, Gu Panjun changed the subject and said, "It is inappropriate for the emperor to propose this matter personally. Even if it is proposed by a minister close to the emperor, it will also cause criticism and make it difficult for him to gain a foothold in the court. But if I come to make the suggestion, then there will be no problem."

Hearing this, Zhu Yunhuan was slightly stunned.

Gu Panjun smiled and said, "I have seen your majesty's sketch and I like it very much."

"I have been poor since I was young, and I have always wanted to live in a luxurious house like that."

"Your Majesty is a famous monarch, a saint for all ages, and you certainly don't want to just care about your own pleasure."

"Everything your majesty did was for me."

Zhu Yunhuan stared at her.

How could he not know the implication of Gu Panjun's words?
After so many years of dissemination, Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism has gradually gained popularity.

There aren’t many other people in the court nowadays, but there are quite a few people who label themselves as “moral gentlemen”.

If Zhu Yunhuan proposed a large-scale expansion of the palace, these people would definitely jump out to oppose it, and who knows how much trouble it would cause.

Although Zhu Yunhuan was not afraid, it was still a troublesome matter. Gu Panjun stood up at this time, saying that she liked him, but in fact she was just blocking the knife and gun for him and taking the blame.

"Don't you want to gain a reputation as a wise queen throughout the ages?" Zhu Yunhuan said with a smile.

"Since ancient times, husband and wife have been one." Gu Panjun smiled and said, "Since I have married Your Majesty, what I have to do is to help Your Majesty become a famous monarch throughout the ages."

"If your majesty becomes the greatest emperor in history, then no matter what I do, I will be the most virtuous empress in history."

"Although I am ignorant, I have read a few history books and understand this truth."

Zhu Yunhuan asked: "Then why don't you persuade me to concentrate on state affairs, not to indulge in pleasure, and not to waste people's efforts to renovate the palace for my own selfish reasons?"

Gu Panjun shook her head slightly and said, "When I was a child, I watched the disciples in my clan study. Not a single one of them wanted to finish their classes quickly and finish their homework so that they could go out and play early."

"Scholars study hard in order to one day pass the imperial examination and bring honor to their family."

"Your Majesty, why do you work so hard to govern the country?"

"The saints have said that food and sex are human nature!"

"And he said, I have never seen anyone who loves virtue as much as he loves sex."

"When Your Majesty was the crown prince, you had already done many good things for the people of the world."

"Ministers should be rewarded for their meritorious service."

"Your Majesty has made great contributions to the Ming Dynasty, so you should be rewarded."

"Building a palace is the reward His Majesty gives me."

"If a minister does not receive reward for his meritorious service, he will not serve the country or be loyal to Your Majesty."

"If Your Majesty has made great contributions but does not reward himself, then Your Majesty will be truly lazy and not want to govern the country. This is my fault."

"Your Majesty, if you are rewarded, you will naturally be more willing to work harder, treat the people well, and govern the world well."

This is actually a very simple truth.

To put it bluntly, students study in order to get into a university and get a good job, and this is the reward for their hard work.

Workers work hard to earn money to support their families and to get promotions and salary increases.

The boss works hard to make more money and enjoy a better life.

The question is, why did the emperor work hard, love his people, and govern the country well?

If there is no reward, how many people are willing to suffer hardships and refuse to enjoy their whole lives just for a false reputation after death?
This is fundamentally inhumane!

But the scholars who consider themselves the guardians of morality don't care about this.

Anyway, as an emperor, you cannot enjoy yourself and you have to work diligently day and night.

What's the reward?
What reward?
The whole world belongs to you, the royal family. What other reward do you want?
But they don’t know that the world is empty and enjoyment is real.

The emperor is also a human being, and like ordinary people, he wants to enjoy life, not be forced to work like a slave, reviewing memorials and working overtime day and night.

The stricter the literati were, the more disgusted the emperor naturally became.

As a result, the Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty did not attend court or take care of government affairs for decades, and simply "absent from work".

Wasn't it because he was forced by those scholars and officials who always resorted to "moral kidnapping" of the emperor?
Gu Panjun was so young, but he could speak such truth, which made Zhu Yunhuan look at him with new eyes.

This is not something that can be accomplished simply by studying.

Many people have read a lot of books, but still don't understand this very simple truth.

The reason is that the book doesn’t say.

Or rather, the book doesn't say it so explicitly.

But it's a turn that requires people to think.

It is said that if you study without thinking, you will be confused; if you think without studying, you will be in danger.

But these contents are not requirements for the exam, so most people are naturally too lazy to think about them.

But just follow the crowd.

The fact that Gu Panjun could say that shows that she not only reads books, but also thinks about them seriously.

"My queen is indeed smart." Zhu Yunhuan praised.

Gu Panjun smiled faintly and said, "The concubines and maids in the harem have all been banned by His Majesty."

"The palace is so big, the maids and eunuchs brought by the East Palace are not enough."

"Besides, those women favored by His Majesty should still be given a status."

"They need someone to serve them, too."

"Since I am already a bad person, I will just stick to it to the end."

"I will issue an order to help Your Majesty select a group of beautiful women to enter the palace."

"Otherwise, building such a large palace would be too lonely."

Zhu Yunxun looked at her deeply, took her hand and said, "Aren't you jealous?"

Gu Panjun rolled her eyes coquettishly: "I am jealous, so Your Majesty won't look for another woman?"

"Your Majesty has already shown me great favor before I even entered the palace."

You are quite well-informed.

So soon he even knew about the fact that I favored the palace maids in the East Palace?

Zhu Yunxun touched her soft little hand without saying anything.

Having three thousand beauties in the harem is every man's dream.

If you say you don’t want anything, you’d definitely be lying.

Say one thing and mean another.

It’s just that most people don’t have the conditions to achieve it.

But in this life, he is the emperor.

He had already set two goals for himself.

The first is to lead the Ming Dynasty to become the first empire on the blue planet where the sun never sets, so that the people of the Ming Dynasty can live a good life with enough food and clothing.

Secondly, of course, is to enjoy the happiness of being an emperor.

Gu Panjun said with a smile: "Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven, so you should give birth to more royal bloodlines to make the royal heirs prosperous."

"It would be wrong for me to stop Your Majesty, and it would also make Your Majesty unhappy."

"It is better to follow your Majesty's wishes and make him happy. Perhaps he will love me a little more."

"Why shouldn't I do it?"

Zhu Yunhuan laughed loudly, pulled her hand a little harder, and held her in his arms, and said with a smile: "Are you really not afraid that your husband will be cursed for eternity?"

"Since ancient times, success or failure has been the defining characteristic of a hero." Gu Panjun whispered, "Your Majesty has obtained everything he wanted, including the luxurious palace and the beauties of the world. Now it's time to govern the country well."

"If Your Majesty fails to govern the Ming Dynasty well, and the Ming Dynasty falls into chaos or declines, then Your Majesty's palace construction and selection of beauties will become a stain that Your Majesty will never be able to erase in your lifetime, and you will be regarded as a tyrant who will be infamous for eternity."

"If Your Majesty can make the Ming Dynasty prosperous and the people well-fed and well-clothed, then the things Your Majesty has done will be romantic affairs and will only become beautiful stories in the future."

"Didn't Emperor Taizong also build the Daming Palace?"

"And who blamed him?"

"Emperor Minghuang of Tang is infamous because he single-handedly caused the An-Shi Rebellion."

"They lost their capital, fled westwards in disgrace, plunged the world into war, and caused great suffering to the people."

"If the Tang Dynasty under his rule could have maintained the prosperity of the early Kaiyuan Period, and the national strength of the Ming Dynasty could have continued to rise, and the people's lives would have become better and better, then his story with Yang Yuhuan would have been a legend for all ages, instead of being a tyrant who was bewitched by beauty and reviled by future generations."

"Your Majesty should know the reason behind this."

Gu Panjun's words were meant to be "advising".

In short, the palaces have been built, the beauties have been selected, and everything you want has been given to you. You have enjoyed the happiness of an emperor, and now it is time to work hard and become a promising and famous monarch.

This advice made Zhu Yunhuan feel very comfortable.

"Well said!" Zhu Yunhuan praised: "I will definitely govern the country well and make the Ming Dynasty enter an unprecedented era of prosperity."

He smiled and asked, "Queen, what suggestions do you have for governing the world?"

"Your Majesty is joking." Gu Panjun shook his head gently in Zhu Yunhuan's arms and said, "The harem is not allowed to get involved in politics!"

"Besides, I am just a woman. How can I compare with the knowledge of the ministers in the court? If Your Majesty wants to ask about the strategy of governing the country, you should ask them."

"No problem!" Zhu Yunxun said with a smile, "I just want to hear your views on the country's major policies. These things do not involve specific measures, so they are not considered interference in politics."

The so-called bystander is clear.

Although the ministers are smart, they each have their own stance and represent their own "interests".

Many times, their policies for governing the country are certainly for the sake of the country, but on this basis, most of them will also include their own "positions" and "interests".

In the words of later generations, it was called "carrying contraband."

Gu Panjun is an outsider.

At least, her position and interests are different from those of the ministers.

The perspectives on the issue are naturally different.

Maybe it can give him some inspiration.

Hearing Zhu Yunhuan's words, Gu Panjun frowned and thought: "I don't understand other things either."

"However, from my childhood, I have seen that among the people in the village, the most prestigious ones who are respected by everyone have two characteristics. One is that they are strong and good at fighting; the other is that they are rich."

"Based on this, I think the most important things for Your Majesty are, first, to manage the Ming Dynasty's treasury well, and second, to command the soldiers to fight foreign battles and win victories."

"As long as these two things go smoothly, no one in the world will be able to oppose Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty can accomplish whatever he wants to do."

……

(End of this chapter)